Capital Pride (Ottawa)

Capital Pride's mission is to create opportunities to celebrate, advocate, educate and connect people, respecting the full diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.[4]

In June 1986, Ottawa hosted its inaugural gay pride event, where approximately 50 individuals gathered at Strathcona Park for a picnic.[5][6] The event featured music, dancing,[7] and vibrant balloons adorned with messages like "gay pride"[8] and gender symbols representing the lesbian and gay community.[9][10][11]

Following this historic moment, Ottawa Pride picnic events continue to this day, taking place in various parks across the city.[12] Here is a list of the previous Pride picnics and their respective locations:[13]

In 1989, the inaugural Pride Week in Ottawa spanned from June 9 to June 18.[5] This culminated in the city's first-ever Ottawa Pride Parade, which occurred on Sunday, June 18.[14] The parade commenced at Somerset and Metcalfe and concluded at the picnic site located at Jack Purcell Park. According to Gays of Ottawa information, it is estimated that approximately 300 marchers participated in the event.[15]

On May 9, 1997, the Pride Week Committee (National Capital Region) / Comité de la semaine de la fierté (Région de la capitale nationale) was incorporated in Ottawa, Ontario. It operates as a Not-for-Profit Corporation and is currently listed as active.[16]

On May 21, 1997, the Ottawa City Council voted 8 to 2 in favor of adding "bisexual" and "transgender" to the Pride Week proclamation. This decision marked July 12 to 20, 1997, as the inaugural Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Week in Ottawa.[17]

In 1998 the Pride Week Committee received a letter of support from Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.[18]

The Ottawa Pride festival was held at Festival Plaza at Ottawa City Hall.

In 2002 the Pride Committee moved the Pride event from the Festival Plaza to Bank Street (Ottawa’s Gay Village) with support from the Bank Street BIA.[19]

In 2005, the Pride Festival was relocated from Bank Street back to Festival Plaza due to high costs and Pride Committee’s outstanding debts. Additionally, the festival dates were rescheduled from July to August due to availability constraints at the Festival Plaza. This is why Ottawa's Pride festival takes place in mid-August, hosting its Pride Parade in late August.[20]

Published on August 25, 2005, Allendria Brunjes of The Charlatan newspaper at Carleton University interviews Tamara Stammis, the chair of planning and events for Ottawa Pride Week:

Allendria Brunjes states in her article:

• This year the celebration started August 19 and will run until August 28, 2005 the day of the pride parade.

Allendria Brunjes quotes Tamara Stammis:

• "the events this year are not at the same place or time as usual due to financial issues."
• "We had to move the date and the site because it was not feasible for us to close Bank Street again," she said, adding that "Festival Plaza, where most of the events are being held, was the best option and it was booked at other plausible times."[20]

In July 2006, the Ottawa Pride festival underwent a rebranding, changing its name from Ottawa Pride to Capital Pride.[21]

In 2008, the Pride Committee of Ottawa–Gatineau was rebranded as Capital Pride.[5] Since then, it has transformed into a citywide one-week festival featuring over 20 events, including a Pride Parade, Dyke March, and various other activities catering to families, athletes, artists, and all members of the LGBT community.[22]

In 2010, Pride Week included a rugby match between Canada's only two predominantly gay rugby teams, the Toronto Muddy York and the Ottawa Wolves. The historic match was played on the main lawn of Parliament on August 28, 2010.[23]

In 2014, Capital Pride ran into financial troubles after 'accounting irregularities' kept the organization from paying vendors over $100,000. The organization declared bankruptcy in December 2014.[24][25] Early in 2015, a new organization, Capital Pride, formed to save the festival and ensure there would be a celebration for the 30th year in Ottawa. The new organization's governance structure consists of the Community Advisory Committee (Board of Directors) which is responsible for overall direction and policies, and the Festival Operations Committee which is responsible for the execution of the annual Fierté dans la Capital(e)Festival.[26]

With the goal of being inclusive, Capital Pride has opted for using the term Rainbow Community to identify members across gender and sexual diversity scales and their allies.[26]

Capital Pride issued a statement in June 2017 that it "supports the participation of individual LGBTQ2 police officers and their allies" in the festival, and made a non-binding request that off-duty Ottawa Police Service officers attending Pride in August to not wear their uniforms or use police vehicles when marching in the parade.[27] The request was the result of consultations with Pride stakeholder groups such as LGBT people of colour, disabled people, Indigenous two-spirited people, and transgender people who frequently have disproportionately negative interactions with police.[27] City councillor Allan Hubley, whose son was openly gay and died by suicide at the age of 15 due to anti-gay bullying, called for the city to withdraw all funding from Capital Pride and expressed concern that Pride was being "bullied by another group" such as Black Lives Matter.[28] Mayor Jim Watson was not supportive of Capital Pride's request but stated he would not withdraw funding.[28] Ottawa police chief Charles Bordeleau, initially opposed to Capital Pride's request and intending to march in full uniform,[29] agreed to march out of uniform with other Ottawa Police Service officers.[30]

Capital Pride announced the appointment of its first-ever executive director, Osmel Guerra Maynes, on January 6, 2020.[31]

In 2020 the community festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, with organizers instead announcing a plan to proceed with an online "digital pride" festival.[32] The digital festival included a Miss Capital Pride pageant;[33] the winner, Icesis Couture, went on to win the second season of Canada's Drag Race in 2021.[34]

The first recorded Ottawa Pride event took place on June 22, 1986, and marked the beginning of Pride celebrations in the city.[5]

The first Ottawa Pride Parade took place on Sunday June 18, 1989.[5][35]

The second Ottawa Pride Parade occurred on June 17, 1990. Initially, City Council proclaimed it "Lesbian and Gay Pride Day," but later withdrew the proclamation due to its conflict with Father's Day. Nevertheless, following legal action led by Pride Week coordinator Graham Haig, an Ontario Supreme Court judge ruled in favor of Ottawa Pride, reinstating the day and allowing the parade to proceed.[36] Despite this legal victory, Ottawa Pride was not immune to the local political disputes that characterized much of the 1990s, which included ongoing conflicts over proclamations.[15][37][38]

Over the years, the Ottawa Capital Pride Parade has grown in size and significance, attracting participants and spectators from various backgrounds who come together to show their support and solidarity.

While Ottawa Pride Parades typically take place on the fourth Sunday of August, it’s important to be aware that there may be occasional variations due to factors such as event planning, logistics, and community considerations.

In 2019 Capital Pride officially held its first Winter Pride in conjunction with Winterlude.[110]

• 
  2004's parade on Bank Street
• 
  2004's after-parade street party on Bank Street
• 
  Alex Munter heading the 2005 parade
• 
  Alex Munter mayoral campaign at the 2006 parade (Munter can be seen at far left)
• 
  Onlookers and supporters in the 2007's parade, Wellington Street
• 
  2007's parade on Elgin Street
• 
  2007's street party at the Festival Plaza on Ottawa's City Hall grounds
• 
  The B-girlz performing at the 2007 Capital Pride

• Official website
• A queer's history of Ottawa Pride - Capital Xtra!